Domestic war crimes mechanism: MS vows to consider all parties’ opinions

• Stresses he would never betray the country 

By Chamodi Gunawardana

President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday pledged to take opinions of all parties into consideration before establishing a suitable war crimes mechanism.

Addressing an all-party discussion on forming a domestic war crimes mechanism and the Government’s modus operandi in this regard at the Presidential Secretariat, the President stressed that he would never betray the country.

He also stressed that the chosen mechanism should be constitutional and should preserve human rights of the people.

Drawing comparisons between prior and current proposals of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), President Sirisena said that the current US resolution had watered down the war crimes allegations.

The animated two-hour discussion provided an opportunity for all parties to express their views on the formation of an international war crimes investigation mechanism. 

Among those present were leaders and representatives of 21 political parties including the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the United National Party (UNP), the Tamil National Alliance, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU), the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP), the National Freedom Front (NFF) and the Democratic Party.